The Joey Tribbiani Special
They look impressive, but are sneakily easy.
You know what always hits the spot? A sandwich. Need a little bite before bed? Make a mini sandwich. Starving but don’t feel like cooking? Sandwich. Going to the zoo and want to take a lunch? Sandwich. Sandwiches are versatile and easy to pull together, especially healthy sandwiches you can make ahead. While a lot of sandwiches already built won’t do great in the fridge (soggy bread is just the worst), there are tons of healthy sandwich options you can prep in advance to make meal planning a little bit easier.
Healthy is a very subjective term — what does healthy mean to you? For this list of healthy sandwiches, it means a list of sammies that have lots of crunch, lots of flavor, and lots of whole ingredients. But nobody’s going to stop you from shoving some chips into the tuna sandwich on this list or adding some ranch for dipping the buffalo chickpea sandwich. This is a list to inspire and turn your lunch from drab to fab — with less work than you think. Most of these healthy sandwiches can be prepped in advance by spending a little bit of time chopping veggies and making the spreads or dressings, so that all you need to do at lunch time is assemble. Like an Avenger, but tastier.
1The Best Tuna Sandwich
I love tuna so much, and this recipe for a tuna sandwich featured on Yummly really nails it. It’s not too liquid-y, it’s not too try, just the perfect combo. Mix up your tuna in advance and you can eat on it throughout the week as you make sandwiches.
2Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
Veggies and hummus are always a winning combo, especially on a sandwich. This veggie and hummus sandwich is spectacular, and loaded with tons of crunch and color. Prep all the veggies beforehand and store in air-tight containers, and it’ll take you no time to assemble.
3Turkey Pesto Sandwich
Pesto is such a great option for a sandwich spread, and I always forget about it. This recipe for a turkey pesto sandwich sounds like an incredible mid-week pick-me-up, and it’s super easy to pull together. Just make the chicken or shred up a rotisserie chicken early in the week so it doesn’t take long to assemble.
4Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto & Turkey Sandwich
Sun-dried tomato and pesto is all I needed to hear before sharing this recipe from Half-Baked Harvest. While this sandwich does include a recipe for homemade Ceasar dressing, you could whip that up ahead of time and then just assemble the sandwich when you’re ready. Or, you could go ahead and make the sandwich, wrap it up in plastic wrap, and toss it in the pan to warm when you’re ready to eat. So good, like a luxury sandwich.
5Shrimp Sandwich With Avocado & Broccoli Slaw
If you’re a fan of lighter sandwiches, you must try Damn Delicious’ shrimp sandwich with avocado and broccoli slaw. It’s so easy, and the only thing I wouldn’t recommend chopping beforehand is that avocado. But cook your shrimp early in the week, make your broccoli slaw, and you’ve got everything on hand to make this super easy lunch.
6Grilled Chicken Sandwich Wraps
Spend one day this weekend grilling up a whole bunch of chicken and then you’ll be able to assemble a whole bunch of these grilled chicken sandwich wraps for lunch throughout the week. You can even put together the wraps fully (leave out the sauce) and wrap them up tightly in plastic wrap. Just dip them into the sauce instead.
7Grilled Veggie Sandwich With Basil Aioli
Look at all those gorgeous veggies. I can’t wait to dive into this grilled veggie sandwich, and it also has a recipe for vegan basil aioli. Grilled veggies may not sound like they’d hold up as leftovers, but just a quick warm in a pan will have you ready to assemble this beautiful sandwich.
8Corn & Tomato Open Face Sandwich
I love corn and tomatoes so much, and this recipe from Cook Nourish Bliss for a summery open-faced sandwich is just what I need. You can prep the white bean spread ahead of time and just assemble your sandwich when you’re ready to eat. Go ahead and slice up your tomoatoes, too, so everything’s ready to go.
9Buffalo Chickpea Sandwich
I love how versatile chickpeas are, especially in something like this buffalo chickpea sandwich featured on Yummly. You can definitely prep the chickpeas ahead of time and then just have all of the other toppings ready to go for a five-minute assemble when you’re ready to eat. So filling and a great high protein option that doesn’t lack in flavor.
10Roasted Mushroom Sandwich With Horseradish Aioli
Mushrooms get a bad rap, but I do believe this Pinch of Yum roasted mushroom sandwich with horseradish aioli could change that. When mushrooms are cooked a certain way, they can have an almost meaty flavor and texture. I know this sandwich looks like a lot, but once the mushrooms are done, it’s all about assembling. You can make them a little in advance and then just warm them up when you’re ready to eat.
11Broccoli & Chickpea Salad Sandwich
If you’re a big fan of crunch, this is the healthy sandwich for you. From Cookie and Kate, this broccoli chickpea pita sandwich requires no cooking — just toss the broccoli, chickpeas, and other ingredients in a bowl with the lemony dressing before assembling your sandwich. You can prep this in advance and just mash up new avocado each time you make a sandwich, too, so it’s nice and easy.
Sandwiches are a classic lunch staple for a reason, so enjoy making a bunch of healthy ones for yourself this week.
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